Friction draft-gear.



J. F. COURSON.

FRICTIONDRAFT GEAR. APPLICATION man FEB. s. 1309.

Patented Apr. 25,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1"- iiiinessvs: [mentor I. F. COURSON.

FRICTION DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATlON FILED FEB. s. 1909.

Patented Apr. .25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- fi E. mkb

:JonN FacoURs'oN, or PITCAIRN, PENNSYLVANIA.

FRICTION DRAFT-GEAR.

To all whom it may] concern: I

Betit known that 1, JOHN F. Connsom a citizen of the United States, residing at Pit- Specification of Letters Patent.

cairn, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Friction Draft- Gear, of which the following is a-specihcation, reference being had therein to the accompanymg drawing. y My invention-relatesto the class of .friction draft gearing or rigging forrailway cars, etc., and it has for its object to'provide a draft gearing of-simple constructlon and highefiiciency, and is designed to utilize the Wedgin and releasing qualities of Wedge blocks hetween thecentral bufiingmember and surrounding/friction member-0r members,"having. faces disposed at varying angles, together withother features of construction, asshall be more'fully hereinafter set forth in the specification and as embodied in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings lllustratingthe invention :.-F.iglire 1 is a central horizontal sectional view of the complete draft rigging assembled, the parts being in their extended position, Fig. 2 is avertical partsbing 'in the same position. v Rig. 3 a view similar to,Fig,'2-, showing the parts in compressed positiomg Fig, 4, is' a trans. verse sectional view' on' g'the line IV.IV. of Fig. .3. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of the inclosing cylindrical shell for the working parts. Fig s a similar view of the buffing block ormally'engages the draw bar of thecouplerig- Fig. 7 is a similar view of one of the movable friction blocks. Fig. 8 is a similar view of the wedge block which coiiperates with the difierential angle wedge blocks. Fig. 9is a similar view of one of "the differential angle wedge blocks. In the drawings, 2 represents'the draw bar of the coupler fixedly connected with the yoke 3 by the transverse boltsA: in the manner customary in this art, said yoke 6' embracmg the casing or cylinder 5 at top and bottom as shown, the yoke and casing being'located between. the center sills 6'; 6.

7 1s a bearing block or piece set within the rear end of cylinder 5 and having a flangedv engagement therewith, against the outer end of which block bears the rounded end 8 of strap 3 with an interposed filling block 9, preferably secured to the end of-the strap, aS-shown.

'PatentedAprJZh,1 916.

Application filed February 8, 1909. Serial No. 476,588. I

16 are the front, stops which sustain the pulling effect of the draft gear andimpart it to the center sills 6,-to which the said stops, of angle form, are secured by'riveting' or otherwise. f

1-1 is the bufling block of the construction shown in Fig. 6, bearingby its front endagainst the stops 10, and also normally against the rear end of draw bar 2, said wedge faces 12, 12', and a'central rearwardly 'bufling block having su gul'arly shouldered.

attending block terminal 13 which fits into areceiving socket 14 of a co-actin'giwedge block 15. Said wedge'block 15 isprovided at its forward end wlth oppositely inclined wedge faces 16, 16, of a more acute angle than that of the wedgefaces 12,v adafptedlto. i

receive the impact of the interposed difi'erential angle wedgeblocks 17, 17 (Fig. 9.)

Set within the casing5 above and below the buiiing block 11 and. bearing against the inner curved faces of the casingby correspondingly curved faces 18, are'the friction blocks 19, 19-, comprising afseparable friction block made in two halves.

of wedge block 15, and providing a flat substantial bearing by theirouter facesforthe buffing springs. -Friction blocks19 are also provided at their inner sides .withwedge Saidblocks v19 have substantially semi-cylindrical rearflange portions 20 embracing :the rear end sectional view at right; angles to Fig. 1 the faces 21, of more acute, angleto the longitudinal center than faces 12 of thebufiing block, and approximatingthe same angle as faces 16 of wedge block 15, but in opposing directions thereto, 1

Intel-posed between the inner faces of filling block 7 and the outer faces of flanges20 of friction block 19., are the buffing springs 22, 23 and 24, nested completely together and adapted tointerpose increasing resistance either to the impact .of bufiing in. the

and the relatively stationary parts of the ap paratus, i. e., between cylinder'5 and the outer faces 18 of friction blocks 19; -A fur- I ther object is to-prevent-jamming and. provide for immediate and easy separation of these parts-upon expansio'n of thef 'springs, and to accomplish these objects I haveeniployed the differentially angled wedge blocks ing block 11; on their upper rear portions with wedge faces, 26 corresponding in angle to the wedge faces 21 of fr1ctionblocks l9; and at their rear inner portlons with wedge faces 27 corres )ondin in an le to wed e- 'faces 16 of wedge block 15.

As observed, faces 26' and 27lare more acute to the longitudinal center than faces 25 so that their separating or wedgi'ng action to press the frietionblocks 19 outwardly by insertion between said blocks .and faces 16- is greater than the separating effect of wedge faces 12' of the bufling block 11 when acting on wedge face The object of such construction and the result desired that the initial effect of either the back movement of the buliing block in bulling or of the forward movement of the friction blocks 19 indrawing is to cause an initial movement of the differential angled wedge blocks between-the faces of wedge block 15 andfaces of friction block 19, and slippage thereon, under pressure, rather than movement of the relatively less-acute faces 12 and 'lhcse angles, however, co-act with the operation of said faces 12 and25, as indicated in Fig. 3, showing the. parts in compressed position and friction blocks 1:) hearing by their faces 18 outwardly in tigh'tfrictional engagement with the inner faces of casing A particular advantage of the BOIIStl'HC. tion, in'addition to the above, is that upon release of pressure the relation of the angles is such that the more obtuse angles 12, 25, facilitate separation and a resulting bachard travel of thewedge blocks 17, thereby innnediately releasing thefrictional contact and overcoming any tendency to bind, so

that the wear o the parts is reduced to a minimum and their easy successful operation facilitated. v. V v I While the use of acute-angled wedges is i of great advantage and the separating effect 3 ncreased in proportion to the force of impact, limitations have heretofore existed by reason of the fact that quick separation has been prevented due to the binding action of such acute wedges. This disadvantage is completely overcome in my present construction. I

The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood from the foregoing description. Inbufling, the friction blocks 19 move to a sufiicient extent into the casing 5 giving the necessary limited spring com-' pression before the friction, elements operate, and in pulling thes 'n'ings are partly compressed by the strap 3 operating through blocks 9 and"? Up'on'release of pressure able draw bar; of friction blocks engaging the casing, a boiling block engaging the draw bar, and differential angle wedge blocks'interposed between the friction blocks and the huffing block, substantially as set fdrth'. v

2. In a friction draft gear, the combina tion with the casing, of friction blocks, a butting block, a wedge blockengaging the friction blocks, and differential angle wedge blocks interposed between the bufiingtblock and wedge block and friction blocks, sub stantially as set forth.

3. In a friction draft gear, the con1bination with the casing and the relativelyanow able draw bar; of friction blocks engaging the casing having inner inclined faces, a bufling block engaging the draw bar having outer inclined faces of different. angle from the angle of the faces of the-friction blocks,

and wedge blocks interposec l between the friction blocks and the buffing block having] ditferential angles corresponding'to and'enf gaging said faces of the friction blocks and butting block respectively, substantiallyas Set fort-h. I 4. In. a fr1ct1on 'draftgear, thc'combma tion with the casnig, of friction blocks, a

.hufling bloek, and interposed wedge blocks ga g1 ng correspomling faces thereof, substantiall as set forth. 7

6. in a friction draft gear, the combinaiioi1 .;itli the casii ig. of friction blocks, a bul'ling block, differential angle wedge blocks interposed between the friction blocks and butting block, and a wedge block engaging the friction blocks and said' differential angle wedge blocks, substantially as set forth. y y i I 7. In a friction draft gear, the combination with the casing and the relatively mov able draw ban; of friction blocks engaging the casing and provided with terminal flanges, a b'ufling block, engaging the draw oara wcdgeblock engaging the flanges of the friction blocks, and differential angle wedge blocks interposed between the friction blocks and buifing block and engaging the wedge bloclg, substantially as set forth.

8. In a -friction draft gear, the combination with\the casing, its terminal bearing block, the ,relatively movable draw bar, and the yoke secured to the draw'bar and embracing ,the terminal bearing block; of friction blocks engaging the casing, a bufiing block "engaging the draw bar, differential angle wedge blocks interposed between the friction blocks and bufiing block, and spring meclianisininterposed between the terminal bearing block and the friction blocks, substantially as set forth.

9. In a friction draft gear, the combina-- tion with the casing, its terminal bearing block, the relatively movable draw bar, and the yoke secured to the draw bar and embracing theterminal bearing block; of friction blocks engaging the casing and provided with terminal flanges, a bufling block engaging the draw bar, a wedge block. en-

friction blocks, a bufling block, differential angle wedge blocks, a co-acting wedge block engaging the friction blocks, spring mechanism, and draw bar and yoke mechanism arranged to transmit movement to said parts, substantially as set forth.

11, In a friction draft gear, the combination with the casing, yoke and draw bar; of friction blocks, .a buffing block, differential angle wedge blocks, a co-acting wedge block engaging the. friction blocks, spring mechanism, a draw bar engaging the bufling block, a bearing block engaging, the spring mechanism, and a yoke connecting the bearing block with the draw bar, substantially as set forth,

12. The combination with the central wedge-faced bufling block, the friction shoes and casin and the differential angle wedge blocks; 0 a supplemental wedge block providing a telescoping longitudinal bearing for the end of the bufling block and engag ing thedifi'erential angle wedgeblocks, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. GOURSON.

4 Witnesses:

C. M. CLARKE, CHAS. S. LEPLEY. 

